Many tasks in the construction trades are repetitive. One such task is the positioning of studs, for example nominal two-inch by four-inch (“2×4”) wall studs, evenly between the top and bottom plates of a wall. Typically this task is performed, in wood home building, by a carpenter who measures the required separation between a first installed stud and the next with a tape measure or the like, and marks the position along the top or bottom plate with a pencil. The carpenter then positions the stud at the mark and nails it into place. A carpenter may, alternatively, make templates for such repetitive spacing out of short pieces of lumber, cut to a length corresponding to a desired distance between the studs, each having nail tips protruding from one side so that it will temporarily stay in place when tapped against the top and bottom plates. When it is desired to position a stud at this distance apart from a vertical surface such as the last stud, the templates are tapped into position along the top and bottom plates with one end against the vertical surface, and the next stud is positioned against the opposite end of each template. This stud is then nailed into place, and the templates are removed for use in positioning the next stud.
The prior art contains a device specially designed for this purpose. U.S. Pat. No. 5,628,119 to Bingham, et al., teaches a pair of cooperating members that may be fixed together in a small number of discreet positions using cooperating holes, bolts, and wing nuts. The members thus form a rigid spacer of a selected length against which construction elements, e.g., studs, may be placed for securing into position. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,895,684 to Firth teaches a single member with multiple fixed spacers and a handle.
While these inventions constitute improvements to the above wooden templates, they lack important features of the instant invention. The most important of these is that they do not take into account that most rows of studs, rafters, trusses, etc. begin with a spacing about three-quarters of an inch shorter than the rest. This is because oftentimes, wall studs and roof trusses are covered with four-foot-wide material such as gypsum board, plywood, or particle board. Typically it is necessary to have such a board begin flush with the leading edge of the first stud or truss and end at the centerline, rather than at the leading edge, of the fourth stud (assuming 16-inch centers) or third truss (assuming 24-inch centers). For this to happen, the spacing between the first and second workpieces must be, e.g., 15¼ inches rather than 16 inches. The instant invention satisfies this long-felt need to make slightly shorter spacing with a single, quickly re-adjustable tool. The present invention also provides many more possible separation settings, such as might be encountered in special (e.g., decorative) circumstances, and improved ability to establish perpendicularity of stud ends across a plate board. These and other distinguishing characteristics and advantages will be elaborated in the following description.